Blog

Observation

This theme is right throughout scripture. Trusting in what God has done instead of trying to work to get God to move is the way of the Kingdom. We come from a worldly system where you earn the right to have, to be. There is a transaction that happens. I am good enough to receive. So I bring my goodness and I get accepted. But in the Kingdom of God, there are no transactions. God does not trade His favour and acceptance of me based on what I bring. I will not “get right with God by keeping the law,” this approach will “never succeed.” My works and goodness are useless in moving God to love and accept me. It is only as I trust that He already does will I live in His love.

Faith gave the Gentiles their rightness with God. The Israelites had the law and could not live to its standards, so God comes and replaces law with faith. “And it was by faith that this took place.” Religion still treats us like Israelites, it peddles the law and then demands obedience, and then postures itself as the mediator of judgement of my performance. And they do it all in the name of God, and so many of us lap up their self serving deceptive lies because it sounds like truth. It sounds right because we have become so accustomed to the system of the world, that is under the direction of the enemy of God.

It’s time to wake from our joyless toiling and come out into the beauty and magnificence of the freedom of faith. It’s not that faith does not make demands of me, actually, faith makes greater demands because love is more powerful than the law. It’s just that the demands of faith are in response to His love and not an effort to receive His love. The law says “do this,” and sends me on my way to carry the burden of fulfilment. Faith says “you are this,” and sends me away to be me. The law demands I love strangers, faith releases me to be the man of love God created me to be. I don’t carry a burden to perform under faith, other than the beautiful burden of response to love.

Application

I will never look at myself and ask “God have I been good enough?” I will always look at Him and know that He has been good to me. I will live under the direction of love that I experience from my faith position. I will become fully alive to me as I live in the presence of God and learn what my image and likeness really are. Being me, fully alive me is the demand of love and faith.

Response

Thank you for ending the tyranny of law. Thank you for the gift of rightness with you. Thank you for a life that flows from acceptance not spent in burdensome efforts to become acceptable. Thank you that rightness positions me in your presence and from your presence I follow you in becoming more me. I am blessed to live from this posture and truth.

Meditation